A kit is typically the single largest non-facility spend in a grassroots club budget. The decision is almost always made under pressure during a hurried conversation in July. Forms are often half-filled while a league registration deadline looms closely in the background. Handle these six decisions in the order they naturally arise to make this year’s process calmer and significantly cheaper for the committee.
1. Ordering Before the Squad Is Confirmed
Committing to sizes before knowing who has paid their subs and who is officially returning is a major administrative mistake. The result is usually four unused smalls sitting in the kit bag with no budget left for late joiners needing large shirts. Set a firm registration deadline two to three weeks before the order goes out to the manufacturer.
Collect sizes directly at registration rather than chasing players informally afterwards. Suppliers offering no-minimum re-orders give late joiners a practical route to add a single item without triggering a full batch order requirement. This approach takes the administrative pressure off getting every single name confirmed before the initial production window closes.
| Pro Tip: Set a firm registration deadline two to three weeks before ordering, and collect sizes at registration. Choose a supplier offering no-minimum re-orders so late joiners can add single items without triggering a full batch order. |
2. Choosing Fabric on Price Alone
Selecting the least expensive material without checking the weight, weave, or wash performance creates a costly false economy. Shirts that look acceptable in August can go thin, bobble excessively, or lose their shape entirely by December. Ask suppliers for the exact fabric specification, including the overall weight in gsm and the specific weave type.
Standard poly knit and ventilated poly mesh perform quite differently in heavy wet conditions on the pitch. Laboratory ageing tests on standard polyester have measured losses in breaking force of up to up to 26 per cent.
Apply strict cost-per-match logic to evaluate the available options. A heavier fabric holding up for two full seasons works out less expensive per game than a lightweight option needing annual replacement. Request a physical swatch to test the material before committing to a bulk order.
| Key Insight: Apply cost-per-match logic, not cost-per-unit. A heavier, properly finished fabric that lasts two seasons works out less expensive per game than a lightweight one needing replacement every year. Request a swatch before committing. |
3. Leaving Sponsor Placement Until After the Artwork Is Done
Clubs often agree on the foundational kit design first before confirming the commercial details. They then discover the primary sponsor logo requires a specific chest placement the existing layout cannot accommodate. A complete redesign adds both cost and delay to a July timeline already under severe strain.
Collect every sponsor logo file and strict placement requirement before the artwork process begins. Confirm the dimensions, colour format, and exact position for the chest, sleeve, or upper back.
Vector files work best here since they scale up or down without any pixel distortion. Build all of those technical requirements into the initial design brief so the first proof accounts for them immediately.
4. Deciding Where the Order Actually Goes
Clubs often default to last season’s supplier without comparing alternatives or assume a local provider automatically means a simpler process. A local printer offers face-to-face proofing and a working relationship that helps considerably when something goes wrong close to the season start.
An online supplier managing design, sizing, and squad numbering in one workflow removes several coordination steps for the club secretary. Clubs pricing that route might look at Sports Gear Swag’s custom soccer uniforms for teams alongside local quotes to compare the full picture. Whichever direction you choose, compare the total cost including standard delivery and initial setup fees.
Look closely at the confirmed turnaround time and the final proofing process. You need to know exactly what happens if a single item needs replacing partway through the competitive season.
5. Sizing a Mixed Squad Without Ordering Twice
Applying a single size chart across a squad spanning different age groups or genders produces items that fail to fit properly. This leads to players who refuse to wear the kit and a second order that wipes out whatever saving was made on bulk pricing. Confirm whether the supplier offers separate size runs for junior, ladies, and adult fits before ordering.
Collect actual chest, waist, and height measurements rather than relying on self-reported estimates from the players. Standard small, medium, or large labels vary significantly between different sportswear manufacturers.
A simple spreadsheet with columns for player name, height, chest, waist, and the size ordered takes under an hour to build. This document gives the supplier exactly what they need to process the order without returning with constant questions.
6. Budgeting for Mid-Season Replacements
Spending the full kit budget at the start of the season with nothing held back leaves you reaching November with no money to solve problems. Every season, shirts get lost on away trips, torn in heavy tackles, or never returned by a player who leaves the club in October. Hold back a contingency of roughly 10 to 15 per cent of the kit budget.
Choose a supplier whose re-order process works for single items rather than requiring a minimum batch. A mid-season replacement order should not cost the club a full new set of shirts.
Keep a digital copy of the original design file so any replacement item matches the current season kit exactly. This prevents new orders from arriving in a different shade when the supplier has to rebuild the artwork from scratch.
| Important: Spending the full kit budget upfront leaves nothing for mid-season losses; shirts get lost, torn, or never returned by departing players. Hold back 10 to 15 per cent and choose a supplier with single-item re-order capability. |
The Bottom Line
Handling squad confirmation, fabric specifications, sponsor artwork, supplier selection, sizing data, and a contingency budget in order turns a frantic fortnight into a process taking just a few hours. The difficulty arises because these structural decisions all land in the same short July window.
Finding an online supplier managing custom team uniforms, design, sizing, and squad numbering in a single workflow reduces the coordination burden considerably. Securing a provider with genuine single-item re-order capability removes most of the mid-season replacement headache.
| Author Profile: Sports Gear Swag is the leading online retailer of custom sports apparel and gear for teams, schools, and organisations of all sizes. Specialising in team jerseys, uniforms and athletic apparel with a wide range of customisation options. |
